I didn't understand until the nurse brought the baby. He had a little
plastic bracelet that said Bimford Fost, Jr. He was red and squalling.
I felt like doing the same, because I knew why Bimmie had been studying
those obstetrics books. He has to try everything!
* * * * *
_May 21, 1983_ I'm seventeen today. Bimmie says to write more. He
thinks that's all I have to do. The baby sleeps all the time he isn't
crying. I like him, only I'm tired of diapers.
Susta gets three pills every day. She plays with them, then eats them.
Bimmie said last night, It won't be long until my experiment bears
fruit. He said to write that here.
* * * * *
_June 3, 1983_ Susta tried to climb the curtains.
* * * * *
_June 5, 1983_ Bimmie wanted to give the baby some pills he made. I
said, No. He said, They'll make him smarter, woman. I said, He's enough
trouble dumb.
Today was our first anniversary. Bimmie wouldn't buy me anything.
* * * * *
_June 9, 1983_ We fought about a dryer. After he left I said, For that
I'll let your animals out. The dog next door came up. Susta arched her
back.
* * * * *
_June 21, 1983_ I've been putting them out every day.
* * * * *
_June 25, 1983_ Bimmie says to write every day, his experiment is
coming to a head. I can't see anything happening. Susta gets six pills
now.
* * * * *
_June 27,1983_ The dog's that way again. Bimmie said, At last my
experiment shall be carried to completion. Not that I care for fame
and riches, no, I care only for the accomplishment of something man has
never before achieved. I said he didn't sound natural. He said, Put it
down that way, woman.
* * * * *
_June 29, 1983_ Bimmie wanted to feed the baby. I caught him before he
gave him a pill. We fought. He said, Who delivered him? I said, I made
him, and pointed to my stomach. I said, I won't have you using him like
a guinea pig.
* * * * *
_July 4, 1983_ Bimmie says tomorrow we'll shut them up in the basement.
* * * * *
_July 5, 1983_ The funniest thing. Bimmie said, You put them in the
basement. Then he left. I thought, I'll just take them out while I
hang diapers. But when we went out, three dogs came up. I said, Scat!
I couldn't chase them because I had my arms full of diapers, because
Bimmie won't buy me a basket. They came closer, edging around. I
stomped my feet and yelled. The dog next door came and growled. Then
Sup hissed at him. This was the first the other three saw Sup. He
hunched up, spitting and intending to chase them off. Only they took
out after him instead. He ran off with four dogs after him. I couldn't
do anything, my arms were full.
* * * * *
_July 6, 1983_ Bimmie didn't think it was funny. He yelled, What are
you, stupid? Didn't you know dogs would come around? Didn't you know
dogs chase cats? He took the car and called, Kitty, kitty, all over
town. No luck. I said, Get another cat. He said, This one is used to
Susta. I said, There'll be another time. He stared at me and said
Susta's system would tolerate only so much of the stuff he's been
giving her. He can't give her any more after next month. He'll have to
wait another year. Then he went looking again.
That was last night. Maybe he'll come home tonight.
* * * * *
_July 7, 1983_ He hasn't. Bimmie's biting his fingernails. He'd bite
harder if he knew what happened today.
I thought Susta was asleep when I went to hang diapers. I had my arms
clear full. When I opened the door, Susta shot past me. I yelled at
her, but she went flying down the street, and I saw that dog next door
take off behind her. I thought first thing, It's Bimmie's fault for not
buying a dryer.
I hung the clothes fast. After all, nothing could happen in such a
short time. Then I started up the street calling, Here Susta! But the
baby was alone, I had to hurry home.
She came back in half an hour. I didn't tell Bimmie yet.
* * * * *
_July 8, 1983_ I didn't tell him, still. He was mad because he had to
pay to get Sup out of the pound. Bimmie salved his ears, they were
torn, and put them in the basement. He said, Now!
* * * * *
_July 15, 1983_ Bimmie says to write every day. It's dull, them in the
basement. They come up tomorrow.
* * * * *
_July 23, 1983_ Susta acts funnier than ever. She rubs my legs when I'm
cooking. She keeps wetting her paws and rubbing her face.
* * * * *
_August 3, 1983_ Today I caught Susta sharpening her claws on the
couch. I said, Bimmie, look at the crazy dog, thinks she's a cat. He
frowned. He only has one pimple now, he's kind of handsome. I said,
Isn't it cute? Bimmie went downstairs. I think he was worried.
* * * * *
_August 11, 1983_ Susta's getting big. I let her sleep with the baby.
Bimmie says, Whoopee! It worked! I'm scared to tell him now.
* * * * *
_August 12, 1983_ Susta rubs my leg when she's hungry. Then she sits
and switches her tail for a long time.
* * * * *
_August 17, 1983_ Susta meowed today. I was fixing dinner. She looked
up and said, Meow. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Bimmie's afraid
she'll have kittens. That isn't what he's trying to do.
* * * * *
_September 5, 1983_ Susta wanted to go down in the basement this
afternoon. When I called her for supper she came up with her stomach
flat. Bimmie and I went down. Susta ducked back in a hole in the wall.
There's a sort of little cave. We said, They must be in there. We got a
flash, and we could see little black balls. Bimmie couldn't reach them.
Bimmie kept talking about how his experiment is going to revolutionize
agriculture.
* * * * *
_September 6, 1983_ I can hear her meowing to them. We can see them
with the flash. We can't tell anything yet.
* * * * *
_September 7, 1983_ He'll buy a typewriter but not a dryer! He's going
to write a book about his experiment. He expects _me_ to type it.
* * * * *
_September 10, 1983_ She still won't bring them out. She purred today,
rusty-like. Bimmie says, sometimes, It had to work. Other times he
bites his nails.
He gave me ten pages to type. I thought I'd better.
* * * * *
_September 13, 1983_ I went down to call Susta and I saw them. There
were five, wobbling everywhere. They're the cutest fat things. I picked
one up, and then I felt sick. He had a long nose and little rosebud
ears and white feet. He looked like the dog next door.
All of them do. They're all puppies. Nothing else, just puppies.